IBM 12.1(22)EA6 User Manual
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Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Modules for the IBM BladeCenter, Software Configuration Guide
24R9746
Chapter 10 Configuring MSTP
Configuring MSTP Features
If any root switch for the specified instance has a switch priority lower than 24576, the switch sets its 
own priority to 4096 less than the lowest switch priority. (4096 is the value of the least-significant bit 
of a 4-bit switch priority value as shown in 
.)
If your network consists of switches that both do and do not support the extended system ID, it is 
unlikely that the switch with the extended system ID support will become the root switch. The extended 
system ID increases the switch priority value every time the VLAN number is greater than the priority 
of the connected switches running older software.
The root switch for each spanning-tree instance should be a backbone or distribution switch. Do not 
configure an access switch as the spanning-tree primary root.
Use the diameter keyword, which is available only for MST instance 0, to specify the Layer 2 network 
diameter (that is, the maximum number of switch hops between any two end stations in the Layer 2 
network). When you specify the network diameter, the switch automatically sets an optimal hello time, 
forward-delay time, and maximum-age time for a network of that diameter, which can significantly 
reduce the convergence time. You can use the hello keyword to override the automatically calculated 
hello time.
Note
After configuring the switch as the root switch, we recommend that you avoid manually configuring the 
hello time, forward-delay time, and maximum-age time by using the spanning-tree mst hello-time, 
spanning-tree mst forward-time, and the spanning-tree mst max-age global configuration commands 
after configuring the switch as the root switch.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure a switch as the root switch. This 
procedure is optional.
To return the switch to its default setting, use the no spanning-tree mst instance-id root global 
configuration command.
Command
Purpose
Step 1
configure terminal
Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2
spanning-tree mst instance-id root primary 
[diameter net-diameter [hello-time seconds]]
Configure a switch as the root switch.
•
For instance-id, you can specify a single instance, a range 
of instances separated by a hyphen, or a series of instances 
separated by a comma. The range is 0 to . 
•
(Optional) For diameter net-diameter, specify the 
maximum number of switches between any two end 
stations. The range is 2 to 7. This keyword is available 
only for MST instance 0.
•
(Optional) For hello-time seconds, specify the interval in 
seconds between the generation of configuration messages 
by the root switch. The range is 1 to 10 seconds; the 
default is 2 seconds.
Step 3
end
Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 4
show spanning-tree mst instance-id
Verify your entries.
Step 5
copy running-config startup-config
(Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.
